[iowaeric]

Hello all, new guy here with a couple of questions concerning roux -

I've read up a lot about the topic, and am wondering: can roux be used as a thickener in pretty much ALL applications, or does it end up detracting flavor? For instance, I've made a roast pork loin with a raspberry sauce that I wanted to thicken just a bit. Can I use a light roux, which I've read is good with pork and veal, to thicken it, or am I better off using heavy cream? What are some general rules of thumb to determine this?

Also, when making your roux, I'm of the understanding the roux needs to be cooked to the appropriate degree BEFORE adding your 'trinity'. But I've seen a certain chef from New Orleans making dishes where he added the trinity right away in pretty much every dish, even though each roux was darker than the first. Is this pretty much for the cameras or am I completely missing something that the 1,000 other articles about making roux have missed?

Thanks!